SEASON TWO - EPISODE 26: SPIRITUAL WANDERING WITH TRACI RHOADES

In a time when so many Christians debate and argue, fight and exclude, Traci Rhoades is a loving voice of unity encouraging each of us to deeply love the Church instead of divide over our beliefs about the church.

In this episode of the podcast, Traci shares how she, as a small-town southern baptist, discovered and fell in love with liturgy, prayer beads, silence, the book of common prayer, and the broad church experiences of other traditions. She moved from not simply loving her particular faith tradition and church experience, but loving the Great Tradition, the historic church experience.

What I enjoyed about this conversation is that Traci and I share the belief that the church, as flawed and messed up as she is, continues to be a way for us to encounter and experience the Divine.

In all her wonders, the church has a way, a mystical and mysterious way, of drawing us nearer to the Divine.

When we move away from arguing that our tradition is right while others traditions are wrong we can actually find the church to be a beautiful diamond; a treasure that we can cherish.

SEASON TWO - EPISODE EIGHT: FIXED HOUR PRAYER & LITURGY

In episode eight of the Why Behind the What, I introduce you to Fixed Hour Prayer and Liturgy; absolutely ancient and foundational practices in the history of the Christian tradition.

Fixed Hour Prayer is pausing to pray throughout our day at regular intervals- usually in the morning, around lunch, in the early evening, and before bed while utilzing a type of prayer book, such as the Common Book of Prayer. Liturgy, meanwhile, is the guiding and organizing principles of a church’s worship gathering; the rituals, traditions, and structure within the service.

When faith and church stopped working for me, when my prayer life seemed stagnant, when I didn’t know what to pray and felt pretty numb in a church service, it was Fixed Hour Prayer and the Liturgy that revived my soul.

They brought tears to my eyes, gave me the words I knew I needed to pray but didn’t have the words for, changed how I viewed and experienced church gatherings, and made me so much more appreciative of church history and global faith community.

Through prayer and liturgy, it was as if I was discovering and witnessing a language my soul knew how to speak all along. Through practicing them, I discovered depth, beauty, richness, and mystery; something I rarely found in other contemporary Christian traditions.

Fixed Hour Prayer and Liturgy are mysteriously mindful, refreshingly remarkable, strongly spiritual, and deeply theological.

They move me from not feeling it to saying, affirming, believing, and finally, living it.

They form me, mold me, and ultimately, transform me.

They are tools that open us up to the transforming presence of the Divine.

I don’t know about you, but I need the Liturgy and Fixed Hour Prayer, whether I’m feeling it or not and I’m convinced they are essential ancient practices for our continued transformation today. If interested, here are some great resources to start experiencing Fixed Hour Prayer: The Divine Hours (Volume One); The Divine Hours (Volume Two); The Divine Hours (Volume Three); The Divine Hours: Pocket Edition; Book of Common Prayer; The Online Book of Common Prayer; Hour by Hour.

As you experience the ancient contemplative practices of Fixed Hour Prayer and Liturgy, may you have peace, may you have calm, and may you have happiness.

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